Circuit closer for signal devices



March 12, 1929. A. E. PHILLIPS 1,705,135

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR SIGNAL DEVICES Filed Aug. 2. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l r .3Z// 1. Z

1 llllllllllllllllllfl Qnmmtoz w, Xdmi March 12, 1929. A. E. PHILLIPS 5 CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR SIGNAL DEVICES Filed Aug. 2. 1926 Z ShOOtS-l-SIIQOt 3 gmxndoc Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

ALFRED E. PHILLIPS, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR SIGNAL DEVICES.

Application filed August 2, 1926.

This invention relates to a signal operating means designed more particularly for use on moving vehicles, as automobiles or the like.

and adapted to indicate to the following oradvanc g vehicle the intention of the driver carry out a contemplated operatimi as turning, stopping, or the like.

The invention generally speaking is intended, to provide a compact structure which may be readily associated with any type of vehicle and which will permit the signal operating mechanisi'n to he set to indicate a signal through a manual operation on the part of the driver, the release of the signal, that is the restoration of the parts to normal position being automati :ally accomplished by the action of the driver in accelerating the motion of the vehicle through the usual accelerator pedal, as for example where the speed of the car is increased following the turn in dicatcd by the signal.

The invention comprehends a casing in which are mounted switch elements adapted to be manually set to close a selected circuit and thereby energize a desired signal. through the operation of a pull. member preferably arranged on the dash of the vehicle, there being connected to the accelerator pedal a tripping member which. in the movement of such accelerator pedal to increase the speed of the vehicle, automatically operates the switches to deenergize the signal circuits and thereby restore the parts to normal positions.

The invention. is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l :is a broken perspective illustrating the application of the improvement.

Fig. 2 is a diagrannnal'ic View showing the circuit.

Fig. 3 is a section. on line 3-3 of F 4.

Fig. lis a longitudinal section partly in section through the casing and combined. switches.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation partly in section showing one of the switches set to close the circuit.

Fig. 6 a plan view of the tripping member.

F ig. 7 is a view in elevation, partly in section showing the pull bars for operating the switches.

The invention is shown in connection with an. automobile. certain parts of which it is n... essary to refer to such for example as the forward inclined section 1 of. the floor-board 2 and the instrument board or dash 3.

Serial No. 126,553.

The improved signal operating means comprises a rectangular easing which may be and initibl'zllilY entirely closed, and will of course have one wall remomible, though such is not illus rated, in order to permit access to the interior parts. The ca ing has one wall formed with projerting flanges 5 where by the casing may be secured beneath the inclined portion 1 of the floor-board of the ve hicie. ilfixtending longitiulinally of the cusing. and 1 sting on the bottom wall thereof a partition 4 on each of nich is arranged a switch OlOlfiCE'll. 6 in the form of a bar pivoted at 7 and influenced in one direction through the medium of a spring 8 connected to the upper end of the ba r and the adjacent end wall. of the c in As will be plain from Fig. 3 the switch bar 6 is supported on each side of the partition l and extends above said partition. The forward edge of each s rwilch bar liielow the pivot 7 is fol-med with two independent notches or recesses 9 and ii), the latter being preferably of greater depth than the former; and the edge of the bar between the recesses being rounded to permit a ready merging from one recess into the other.

hlouuted on the partition. 4 in advance of each switch bar (5 is a locking member 11 comprising annularly related, sections pivotallv mounted at the inclined juncture zsat 12 oil the partition. One of the sections of the locking member as 13 is in the form of a bar. the free end of which is adapted to engage in either of the notches 9 or illlarcording to the positiim of the switch bar. The other ser tion of the locking member terminates in a foot 14 having a longitiulinally rounded low or surface 15. the foot portion of the locking member owrbalancing the section 13 so that the foot portion has a normal tendency to move through an opening 16 in the bottom of the casing 4c. Each switch bar 6 carries a contact point 17 which in the operative position of the switch bar engages a terminal contact spring 18 supported on and insulated I from a bracket projecting laterally from one of the side walls of the casing 4. Each switch bar is operated through a Bowden wire conncction 19 leading to a pull bar 29. on the instrument board or dash 3 of the vehicle.

The wire element of the connection designed part1 cularly with a view to taking up any slack that may develop. it being for this the inner terminal of the pull .rod with its end deflected through a lateral portion of such opening and secured by a set screw 2 By this means any slack in the wire connection may be readily taken up and compensated f0 in an obvious manner.

Obviously under the action of the pull rod 22 the upper end of. the particular switch bar 6 is drawn forwardly against the influence of the spring permitting the free end of the section 13 of the locking member to ride out of the recess 8 and find its way into the recess 10 where it serves to lock the switch bar in a switch closing position, it being notet that in this position the contact terminals 17 and 18 are in engagement. In this position of the locking'member the foot portion 14 of such member depends through the opening 16 in the bottom of the casing. lVith the signal set through the energization of the circuit, closed through the described operation of the switch member, it is desirable to automatically deenergiz e such circuit. when the driver seeks to increase'the speed of the machine after having caried out the operation indicated by the signal. Ordinarily the speed control is through the accelerator bar 25, and to provide for the-release of the switch bars in and during, the operation of the accelerator, a trip plate 28 is arranged for cooperation with the casing 4, and connected to the accelerator rod 25 through themedium of a clamping member 26 with the latter adapted to engage the accelerator rod and having hinged connection with the trip plate 28. This trip plate isprovided with a trip section 29 pivotally supported in the recess in such plate and adapted to be elevated through the medium of the spring operated pivot 30, the extent of elevation being, limited'by the bar 31 secured uponvthe trip plate, which bar is adjustable to vary the extent of elevation of the trip section29. The trip plate 28 is supported at one end for sliding movement in a fixed plane relative to the casing 4 through the medium ofa'guide bar 82 arranged below and'carried bythat end of the casing 4 remote from the floor-board of the vehicle. The opposite end of the trip plate whichextends beyond the forward end of the casing, operates through a bracket 83 secured in the'openingin the inclined section 1 of the floor-board and provided with a cross bar on which the trip plate rests and below which theacce'lerator' rod is-adapted to pass clearly shown in:

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatmally at 01rcuit which includes conductorsSS and 36 leadcasing and cooperating parts are constructed of material forming the ground for the other side of the circuit. The respective signals 37, Smay indicate left and rig i turns respectively, and the particular pull bars 22 may have designations, as L and l to corres1 ond with these signals, so that throi z h the opera ion of the appropriate pull bar the proper sig energized.

Of course it 18 unde'stood that three or more signals may be employed, in WlIlCll event tention of the driver.

From the abovedescription it will be apparent that the signals may be selectively,

operated by the manual manipulation of the preferred pull rod, thereby operatingthe corresponding switch bar 6to close the signal circuit and energize the signal. The switch bars are locked in circuit closing position, and are automatically released in the movement of the accelerator bar which is employed to increase the speed of the vehicle after the operation indicated by the signal has been completed. This accelerator rod movement Oper ates the trip plateandthrough the trip section 29 moves the locking members to release the switch bars, which latter are then re turned to normalpo'sition by the spring 8( What I claim as new is: v p

1. A switch for use in controlling a signal, comprising independent switchbars adapted in movement in one direction to close signal controlling circuit, a'spring for eachswitch bar for moving said switch bar to non-circuit closing posit-ion, each of said switch bars being formed'with independent notches, a locking member cooperating with each switch bar and adapted to engage in one of the not'chesto hold the switch bar against movement under the influence of its spring-while at thesame time maintainingthe switch bar in non-circuitclosing position, means for manually moving the switch bar to circuit closing posi tion, the locking means thereupon cooperat-v ing with the remaining notch in the bar to lock the bar in such position, and manually operable means to force the locking member out'of the last named-notch to permit the spring to move the switch bar to inoperative position.

2. A circuit closer for signal devices'including a switch bar for closing'the circuit and monnted'for pivotal movement, means for moving the switch bar to close the circuit, a

spring for normally holding the switchbar to maintain the circuit open, a locking member adapted for cooperation with two independent points on the switch bar to hold the switch. bar either in position to maintain the circuit open or in pos ion to maintain the circuit closed, an operating trip for the locking member, and means on the locking member to be projected in the path of the trip in one osition oi. such member and to be held beyond the path oi the trip in another position of such member.

3. A circuit closer for signal devices including a switch bar, a spring for operating the bar in one direction, manual means for operating the bar in the opposite direction, a locking member mounted for pivotal movement and including a bi: r adapted to cooperate with the switch bar in either of two positions as inaugurated by the spring or the manual means, a manually operable trip, and a foot-piece forming part of the lockin 51 member and. adapted to be projected in the path I of the trip in one position of the locking member and held beyond the path of the trip in the other position of such member.

4. A circuit closer for signal devices comprising a switch bar mounted for swinging movement to and from a circuit closing position, a spring serving to hold the bar in open circuiting position, manual means serving to move the bar into circuit closing position, a locking member pi votally supported adjacent the switch bar and includin a bar section and a foot section, notches formed in one edge oi. the foot bar to receive the bar section of the locking member in the respective positions of the switch bar, and a manually operable trip, the locking member when in cooperation with one of the notches oi the switch bar holding the foot section out of the path oi the trip and arranging said foot section in the path. of the trip when the locking; member is in (fOOPQl'I l" tion with the other notch of the switch bar.

In. testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALFRED E. PHILLIPS. 

